Christopher Columbus | |
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Posthumous portrait of Christopher Columbus by Sebastiano del Piombo, 1519. There are no known authentic portraits of Columbus.
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1st Governor of the Indies | |
In office 1492–1499 |
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Appointed by | Isabella I of Castile |
Succeeded by | Francisco de Bobadilla |
Personal details | |
Born | Before 31 October 1451 Genoa, Republic of Genoa |
Died | 20 May 1506 (aged c. 54) Valladolid, Crown of Castile |
Spouse(s) | Filipa Moniz Perestrelo |
Domestic partner | Beatriz Enríquez de Arana |
Children |
Diego Fernando |
Relatives | Brothers: Giovanni Pellegrino Giacomo (also called Diego) Bartholomew Sister: Bianchinetta Columbus |
Occupation | Maritime explorer |
Religion | Roman Catholic |
Signature | |
Military service | |
Rank | Admiral of the Ocean Sea |
Christopher Columbus (Italian: Cristoforo Colombo;c. 1451 – 20 May 1506) was an Italian explorer, navigator, and colonizer. A citizen of the Republic of Genoa, under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean. Those voyages and his efforts to establish permanent settlements on the island of Hispaniola initiated the European colonization of the New World.
At a time when European kingdoms were beginning to establish new trade routes and colonies, motivated by imperialism and economic competition, Columbus proposed to reach the East Indies by sailing westward. This eventually received the support of the Spanish Crown, which saw a chance to enter the spice trade with Asia through this new route. During his first voyage in 1492, he reached the New World instead of arriving at Japan as he had intended, landing on an island in the Bahamas archipelago that he named "San Salvador". Over the course of three more voyages, he visited the Greater and Lesser Antilles, as well as the Caribbean coast of Venezuela and Central America, claiming all of it for the Crown of Castile.